Tellurus
Tellurus is the second planet from Sun-II, and the most habitable of the three in the Sidereus Nuncius system. __TOC__ History Habitability Tellurus is a terrestrial planet, surrounded with an atmosphere containing an optimum mixture of natural gases suited for sustaining life. When humans were looking for cosmic migratory options available to them, it was one of the first planets found to contain air similar to that which people are already accustomed to. Atmospheric pressure, though in constant fluctuation depending on the current weather, was found at the standard level to be slightly higher than what was considered normal. With very little pollution, the air stays very clean. Surface conditions upon the planet are most hospitable of the three that make up the planetary system. Tellurus is composed of approximately 85% water, most of which has been unexplored due to isolation. Land masses upon the planet were formed by drastic plate shifting during the early stages of Tellurus’ life, pushing that which once composed seafloor up to reside above sea level. These land formations are mostly a mix of natural oxides, serving to aid the atmosphere with its high content of oxygen. Because of this, Tellurus’ land is blanketed with a very nutritious soil, helping plant and human life to flourish. Magnetosphere Tellurus is equipped with two magnetic poles that are comparatively weaker than those belonging to the planet that his citizens, long ago, migrated from. Directionally tagged as north and south, these poles are from which Tellurus’ magnetic fields spring forth, forming the magnetosphere that aids in redirecting a great deal of radiation discharged from the star at the center of the planetary system (commonly referred to as Sun-II by the Tellurusians). Though the protection cuts down upon the immediate danger posed to humans by cosmic radiation, there are still days when it is advised to not step outside without adequate protection. Weather forecasts have since been expanded to include both meteorological weather, and cosmic weather as a precaution to the citizens of Tellurus. Protection in the form of a radiation-screen cream is recommended by the government for use upon all citizens. Tellurus' moons are located within the magnetosphere. Geography Climate Tellurus is known for its warm, hospitable summers and cold, frequently harsh winters. Due to its orbit around Sun-II, winter can range anywhere from a few days to a approximately a month longer than summer, with spring and autumn being practically nonexistent between the two. *''Summer:'' A typical summer on Tellurus is usually very comfortable. Humid, breezy days blend easily into balmy evenings and cool nights. *''Winter:'' Winters are cold and long. Cities are usually blanketed with snow (and sometimes ice), causing farmers to have to isolate their crops under greenhouses to be able to continually produce food. Satellite images taken from Mese of Tellurus during winter show that the most desolate areas of the sea are frozen over, but clearly display a number of sub-surface cracks and pathways. Naval ships lacking the reinforced hull necessary to free themselves are often locked into place during these months, with supplies delivered to them via plane. Administrative Divisions Tellurus’ land area is composed of five municipalities. #''Neponsit:'' Home of the central business district (CBD), and the central government (CG). The main Tellurusian branch of The Bank of Sidereus is located here, and most other large businesses are headquartered in Neponsit as well. Living spaces exist in the form of high-rises. Civilian vehicle traffic is not permitted at any time during any day in Neponsit. #''Osidge:'' The most industrial of the municipalities. Food and water processing takes place here, and the area is also known as the scientific research hub of Tellurus. A multitude of labs, both above and underground, are located in nondescript buildings. Most living spaces are what those familiar those on earth would call loft-like; open, warehouse-like dwellings offer all the modern conveniences inside of a space that looks less than refined. #''Tokyngton:'' #''Fitzrovia:'' Most farming happens in this municipality; greenhouses, solar farms, and windmills are a majority of the landscape. #''Perivale:'' Pervale has the privilege as being known as the wealthiest municipality of Tellurus. Luxury homes, condominiums and apartments compose most of the land area. Natural Satellites Tellurus has three moons; in order from closest to farthest. #''Hypate''; smallest and newest of the three, slightly misshapen. Planetary scientists calculate that Hypate is stuck in such an unstable orbit that it is actually slowly spiraling toward land. Though the prediction of the impact date is many, many years in the future, these scientists have yet to determine precisely where the satellite will collide and what impact it will have upon the entire planet. Landings have not been attempted upon Hypate. #''Mese''; round, captured in a perfect orbit to keep it perpetually rotating around Tellurus without fear of collision. Mese, marked as the most reliable of the three moons, is half-littered with antennae and a small base for government communication, formed from technology from the Cabeiri Colonies (see imports/exports; technology), while the other half serves as a nearby vacation getaway, tourist destination, and retreat away from the constricts of land without having to travel to the nearby Cabeiri Colonies or Tala'tala. Tourism to Mese is very expensive; only the incredibly wealthy and those with the appropriate government clearance are able to travel there. Mese is the largest of the three moons. #''Nete''; round, desolate. Nete’s orbit has it barely captured within Tellurus’ gravitational pull, and it would not take much force (cosmically speaking) to knock it either back out into the vastness of space, or further in to be more firmly captured, or stuck in a situation similar to its awkward sister, Hypate. Due to its uncertain future, Nete has been left mostly abandoned by civilization serving simply as a large dump for Tellurus’ trash and waste. Sanitary workers and cargo-waste ships are the only class permitted to land upon Nete. Politics Federal republic. Tellurusians are given a choice of government officials in an election scheduled every ten years. Incumbents are eligible to serve indefinitely, as long as they are continually being voted for and winning each election. No government position is immune from any election at any time. The government, on the grand scale, governs the entire planet as one sovereign nation, however, land masses are split up into zones called municipalities that are marked with their own head figure. Head figures are responsible for reporting back to the global government on behalf of their constituents in case of arguing for more funding for their specific area, a proposition for the release of more resources to/from their area, or an upgrade in the technology that supports their area, to name a few examples. The current waters with the people and their relationship with government officials is tepid, and growing colder. Ambiguities have arisen amongst officials resulting in a lack of transparency with the affairs of the entire planetary system, and many suspect that corruption is starting to take hold, starting from the top and working its way down to local officials. Though Tellurus goes through great lengths to keep out the black market system that flourishes upon planet 3, many citizens speculate that breed of corruption is where the planet is headed. Many Tellurusians, especially the paranoid (and morbidly curious) sort, openly communicate via a network of blogs that are actively monitored by the government. Though the monitoring is mostly passive, certain words coupled with their context and perceived phrasing has been known to trigger deeper investigation. It is growing more common for persons of interest to be summoned to their local branch of government for questioning, or transport to a larger base for the same. In elections, most citizens do not believe that their votes are accurately counted, and many suspect voter fraud is quickly becoming more prevalent. Law Tellurus’ justice system is separated into two branches. Petty crime, misdemeanors are generally under the jurisdiction of each municipality’s court. Major crimes, federal offences, and felonies are under the jurisdiction of the Superior Court of Tellurus. Municipalities reserve the right to refer any case to the superior court based upon severity and scope after a formal investigation. In both court systems, cases are handled before a panel of justices that have been appointed by elected officials. The justice system of Tellurus is known for being markedly strict, and crime against its peaceful citizens is not tolerated. *Misdemeanors and minor crimes generally include, but are not limited to: driving infractions, simple possession, petty theft, prostitution, simple assault, disorderly conduct, trespass, and minor vandalism. *Felonies, federal crimes, and major crimes generally include, but are not limited to: arson, assault & battery, burglary, fraud, identity theft, kidnapping, larceny/theft, murder, perjury, and rape. Suspects convicted of the crime on which they are on trial for are subject to a number of sentences ranging from community service to hard labor, permanent incarceration, and even exile. In the case of most minor crimes resulting without bodily harm or property damage, the guilty party will usually serve out a sentence of community service. Those delegated to hard labor sentences are scattered depending on the need—one may find themselves subjected anywhere from working on a food farm, or sanitation/dump duty upon the moon Nete. Exile is the harshest of the punishments given by the justice system, and is where the guilty party is sent away from the people of Tellurus for the rest of their lives. Though no one exiled has ever returned to verify, the general consensus and official procedure as stated by the central government is that felons are given the choice to take three specific items from their homes, are granted one special meal request to be added to a one month food supply, and are banished off into space via the spaceport upon Mese to spend the rest of their lives. Their pods, though metallic, are reported to be very flimsy, and many speculate that most are crushed by the vacuum of space once the prisoner crosses the boundary of the magnetosphere. Rumors have recently been circulating upon the net as to whether those marked as exiled are even sent into space at all, with some believing that once the prisoners are relocated to the spaceport upon Mese, they stay there as government property to be experimented upon. The nature of these supposed experiments are not known, nor are they openly speculated upon for fear of repercussion in the form of an inquiry. Foreign Relations The Tellurisian government, as a whole, is very inquisitive. It will neither confirm nor deny that its base upon the moon Mese spends a good amount of time monitoring any waves of communication that are accessible to it from both Cabeiri and Tala’tala, be they domestic or trans-planetary. *''Cabeiri Colonies:'' The Tellurusian government is more trusting of the Cabeiri Colonies (often referred to by the Tellurusians as Cabeiri or, the colonies) than planet 3. While relations are still strained despite the minute trust difference, Tellurus is slightly envious of the highly advanced technology that allowed Cabeiri’s people to be contained and controlled. Though it has yet to be seen whether the assessment is fair or unfair, Tellurus sees Cabeiri as little to no threat, and believes if the colonies were to engage in a war with them, there would be minimal difficulty in overcoming the opposition. *''Tala’tala:'' Tellurus is most distrustful of Tala’tala due to its blatant authoritarianism, and roguish-seeming inhabitants. It is very cautious in its business dealings with the planet, as it feels that the planet is both unstable in terms of climate and mind. Tellurus is very wary of Tala’tala’s black market, and advises traveling citizens that they should avoid the temptation to purchase anything from it during their stay ; offenders caught bringing black market goods back to Tellurus will have the items immediately confiscated and will serve a penalty sentence based upon the court’s discretion. Social Security Tellurusians, from the first moment they are employed, pay into and are eligible to begin collecting social security when they reach the age of ninety, if they meet a few prerequisites. Applicants are referred to as prospects. Prerequisites are: *The prospect must be native to Tellurus and born of parents who were the same. *Prospects must be ninety years or older. *If not a member of the military, the prospect must present a valid, correctly cataloged work history showing their participation in the Tellurusian workforce for a minimum of eighty years, or present adequate proof that they have been a benefit to society. *If the prospect is a member of the military, they are entitled to social security upon retirement. Depending on rank and service records, each year military prospects can petition for a higher sum at their local municipality’s bureau, where those applications are reviewed for accuracy and passed to the central government for approval based upon the municipality’s recommendations. Armed Forces The planet of Tellurus is protected by the Tellurusian Military, which is broken down into three branches: the army (A), navy (N), and the air & space force (ASF). All citizens are subject to drafting in times of desperate need, but in times of peace, service is voluntary. The army’s general responsibility is to protect the citizens of Tellurus if an invasion or war were to happen on Tellurus’ own soil, while the Navy serves mostly as a reconnaissance fleet for places that are inaccessible to most other government ships. The air and space force’s responsibilities are to protect the skies, upper atmosphere, and boundaries that extend to, and a few miles past the moon Nete. Rank within the military is as follows, in order from lowest to highest: private, private first class, petty officer (N only), corporal, sergeant, master sergeant, technical sergeant (ASF only), sergeant major, ensign (N only), second lieutenant, first lieutenant, captain, major, commander. Compensation is based upon rank. Economy The majority of the economy of Tellurus is built mostly upon the act of buying and selling from the neighboring planets. Tellurus’ main export is food compressed into easily shipped meals that need only simple re-hydration, and clean, desalinated water. Imports include technology and communications from the Cabeiri Colonies, and raw to refined material for energy from Tala’tala. Energy Tellurus’ power grid is a mix of imported components from Tala’tala, solar, wind, and hydro power. One of the central government’s top priorities is keeping a clean, minimally polluted planet, thus Tellurus is always looking for more ways to be more self-sufficient in regards to its energy needs. Solar power has come a long way via means of solar farms scattered around the less populated areas as well as upon certain vessels owned and operated by the naval division of the military, and the general population is finding itself slowly less reliant on the Tala’tala materials. Transport The citizens of Tellurus get around mostly by either foot, non-motorized cycle, or public transportation in the form of above-ground rail or the government mandated taxi service, both controlled by the Tellurus Rapid Transit & Rail Authority (or TRTA). Owning a vehicle on the planet, while possible, is very expensive, considered a luxury item, and subject to strict regulations on a daily basis. Vehicles are hydrogen powered. The rail systems offers two services, a rapid and a local, to various places upon Tellurus. Industry Tourism Visitors coming to Tellurus can expect to pay a higher tax on any sundry item they purchase while upon the planet. Microscopic identity chips placed in the pad of each Tellurusian’s index finger allows stores to determine which tax level every patron should be charged. Though not mandatory, Tellurusians who elect to not be implanted with the chip are subject to the same tax rate as tourists. Arrivals from both planets do not require a permit or visa to land and stay on Tellurus for a total period of 200 consecutive days; anything longer (including indefinite stays) is routed through immigration for proper permitting. Likewise, the government of Tellurus does not require its citizens to request permission to visit either Tala’tala or the Cabeiri Colonies. Public shuttles to both planets leave thrice daily, however private shuttles are readily available for booking at each spaceport. Once in Tellurus’ airspace, all visitors are subject to Tellurusian laws. Visitors to Tellurus are not permitted into the Tellurusian grocery stores (see Cuisine). Demographics Languages The people of Tellurus are taught from birth to speak Universal English. It is possible to learn the tongues of the separate nationalities of Earth, as most are readily cataloged in the central archives and available for study with a valid teacher recommendation, but is considered a specialty, much like any other study. There is a small stigma among the Tellurusians that linguists are a ‘less useful’ class of academic, however the central government does not officially look down upon them, or discourage individuals from pursuing the mastery languages as their skill set. Common slang heard on Tellurus: *(The) Colonies – refers to the Cabeiri Colonies *Bee (s) – refers to the people of the Cabeiri Colonies; brought about by their perceived hivemind; considered derogatory *Tal-tarians – refers to the people of Tala’tala; word play on totalitarian; considered derogatory *Tally (pl. –ies) – also refers to the people of Tala’tala; considered derogatory *Mr. Fix – the portable doctor device that citizens keep in their homes for emergencies *CBD – central business district *MS – master skill; the skill that one has been trained to perform, or studied to master Religion Tellurusians are free to practice any religion of their choosing, or none at all. There is no state-sponsored religion, nor does the central government keep a consensus of the percentage of practitioners in each faith. If a law of religion directly contradicts a law of the state, the law of the state takes precedence. Claim of religious belief is not a valid excuse to break the laws of Tellurus, nor are holidays honored based upon religious merit. Health Health among Tellurusians is generally good, especially considering their ability to participate in outdoor activities to keep fit. Through technology purchased from the Cabeiri Colonies, the people of Tellurus are able to keep in their homes a small, briefcase-like device called: The Medical Robot for Illnesses and Exams (or, Mr. Fix for short). The use of this device has replaced the most tedious tasks that inconvenience doctors and offers accurate advice for treatment to those with minor illnesses, or referrals to patients whose condition requires an in person medical professional. Though Mr. Fix was built primarily for encouraging treatment and recovery of his patients, he does come equipped with what some would consider a more morbid area of expertise; Mr. Fix also has within his database a voluntary euthanasia program that can be run by a patient at any time. Voluntary euthanasia is not against any law of Tellurus as long as it is the patient taking their own life, however if any physician or nurse is caught in the act or is suspected of assisted euthanasia, they are subject to a case review and punishment by the Supreme Court of Tellurus for murder. Even with the aid of Mr. Fix, Tellurus still has a bustling medical community, including specialists to help with any internal or external ailment. It has been rumored that the central government, also with aid from the scientists upon Cabeiri, has been able to produce an even smaller version of Mr. Fix, watch-like that patients are to wear on their wrists. Though not yet formally announced or named, this device is said to be intended for those possessing mental illnesses- depression, bi-polar disorder, even schizophrenia- and is supposedly being tested out on soldiers that have been found to have instances of post-traumatic stress disorder. It is referred to as “pocket psychiatrist” in general conversation. Society Culture The people of Tellurus enjoy plenty of freedom in their daily lives to be able to pursue hobbies, studies, and activities that are for the benefit of society. Certain municipalities are home to specific cultural movements, an example being the Fitzrovian back-to-the-land movement, promoting individuals to take up gardening enough to provide for themselves or their families instead of having to rely on the government and its processed meals. Education and Science Education is a requirement in Tellurusian society, and each citizen of Tellurus must have at least one listed master skill on their identification card ... tbc. Media, Cinema, Television and Visual Arts Though visual arts and media for pleasure had taken a back seat when humans first came to Tellurus, years of stability post-colonization have allowed the Tellurusians to return to the medium once more. Tellurus has one major film studio and a number of small, independent studios. Before the evening’s shows are played on the television, there is a nightly news broadcast from the central news agency. Though not directly connected to the government, the journalists to often work hand in hand with the bureaucrats to announce any important messages that do not require an address from the President, and despite the broadcasts being from one news company, there are journalists that cover each municipality. The television networks also air a number of shows that are Cabeirian. Music Communications Cuisine Tellurusian cuisine is mostly plant-based as there are no large animals to hunt and consume. Modern Tellurusians are well accustomed to their plant-centric diet, and a wealth of ‘meat-like’ options are available on the market through the breakdown and reconstitution of proteins to taste like the animal after which they are named. Dining options range from fine to fast food, and grocery stores are placed in strategic locations around each municipality for citizens to shop at. For a monthly fee, busy Tellusians can opt in to a service that does this base shopping as well as delivers food to their front doors. Visitors to Tellurus are strictly prohibited in the planet’s grocery stores, though they are welcome in any restaurant. To prevent the people of the Cabeiri Colonies and Tala’Tala from entering and purchasing goods from these stores, each Tellurusian citizen must present their government issued identity card, or micro-chipped finger at the door. These restrictions are to be sure that Tellurus cares for his citizens before helping those of any other nation, and collects the proper amount of taxes due on each item that is exported. Holidays Tellurus does not have holidays so much as government marked free days. Three per month is the allotted number, and can be used anytime within a deadline of three months. This means, in the best case scenario, that Tellurusian citizens can save up days for two months to take nine days in one month. They are free to pick and choose when they take their free time as long as they still have days to use, or the days are not expired. Sports The Tellurusians are competitive through a number of sports. Air races are a particular favorite of most citizens, along with grands prix and regattas, which can all be performed individually or municipalities against each other.